Journal of a mature, non-Olympic woman in the process of converting to cycling as a method of daily transportation. Dealing with weather and assorted perils; exploring equipment, psychological fortitude, and diet; experiencing our surroundings on a smaller, closer scale; saving gas & boycotting the car industry.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

not enough bike parking

Recently, on a Friday morning, I arrived at the Hollywood Transit Center to find the bike rack there absolutely stuffed. It's one of those wiggle-wave style racks, and every single wave had a bike in it. So I had to just nose mine in where I could on the curb side of it.

When I got back that afternoon I realized how my wheel was hanging out over the wheel chair ramp. Do you see it sticking out there? Am I not horrible?But I swear there was nothing else around that was skinny enough to lock it to. Of course this means that more people are riding their bikes, which is a wondrous and beautiful thing -- but it also means:

2 Comments:

You are not horrible!!You are simply struggling to deal with a situation in which the folks who plan a facility (trimet) are grossly ignorant of the needs of their customers. Trimet is definitely clueless at times on this issue. There is plenty of room there for someone who's handicapped to get through. As an architect, I've often thought about how the building code requires planners to bend over backwards for accessibility and wouldn't it be great if even a percentage of that was applied to cyclists.

What a beautiful thought, Aaron! I tell you, that day is coming, and I think it might come to Portland first. The awareness of all these biking issues is growing every day -- I really see and hear evidence of this all the time, I'm sure it's not just wishful thinking.Imagine if there were covered bike parking everywhere! Regarding Trimet -- did you read that survey they took last summer? It gave me hope that they're at least GETTING a clue. If things keep going in this direction, and if Trimet's listening -- they might one day have to add a whole traincar to the MAX trains just for the bikes! Forget about that measly little half-space just inside the doors. We outgrew that immediately.

About Me

"She's no spring chicken," my mother would disclose mercilessly about women in their thirties trying to impersonate youth. Now, I'm even past the no-spring-chicken age. So don't think you have to be 12 to start riding a bike everywhere. I'm working out all the pesky details for you in case you want to do this yourself. But even if you never do it, you'll still know what it's like because I'm going to shrink you down to the size of a little rubber elf and glue you onto my handlebars. No changing your mind, no matter how much you beg me. So don't even start this unless you're sure you have the guts.
PS: My other bike is a broom.